NOW that almost all of the Salisbury Plain units have completed operations in Afghanistan, normal training and adventure training activities can restart.

The first of these in 2014 is Exercise Spartan Hike, which is the skiing championships for units from the UK regions and reserve units.

It takes place on the southern French slopes at Villeneuve and Les Monêtier Les Bains, which are two of 13 villages that make up the 18km stretch of Serre Chevalier. Four-hundred-and-fifty individual competitors have entered the races and 39 Alpine teams compete across five races as individuals and teams. Thirty-six Nordic teams will be competing in classic-style Nordic races and biathlon, in which the competitors have to shoot as well as ski.

There have been some good initial results, with R WELSH coming fourth in the Nordic Men’s Classic Relay with 2 RTR in eighth, 1RRF were 28th, with 4 RIFLES and KRH 31st and 32nd respectively.